Bacon Broccoli Mac and Cheese

• Meat

  • 3 slices Bacon, cooked

• Produce

  • 3 cups Broccoli florets
  • 1/4 tsp Garlic powder

• Pasta & Grains

  • 8 oz Pasta [measured by

• Baking & Spices

  • 1/4 cup All-purpose flour
  • 1/8 tsp Black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 Season with additional salt and pepper

• Dairy

  • 1/4 cup 1/2 stick] unsalted butter, unsalted
  • 5 oz Cheddar cheese [see below
  • 2 cups Whole milk

Found on peasandcrayons.com

Description

Ingredients

• 3-4 slices of bacon, cooked
• 5-6 ounces freshly grated cheddar cheese [see below]
• 3 cups broccoli florets, steamed or blanched
• 8 oz pasta [measured by weight]
• 1/4 cup [1/2 stick] unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk, room temperature
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• season with additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired
• i]sauce adapted from [That Which Nourishes [/i]
• crazy for cheese? You can add a little extra on top before baking and even try a buttery breadcrumb, panko, or cracker crust if youd like! Have fun with it! I made mine with a mixture of sharp white and medium cheddar cheese but love adding gouda to my mac and cheese as well. Gouda and cheddar are a match made in heaven! I highly suggest using a good quality brick or wedge of cheese and grating it yourself, the flavor and texture will be spot-on this way!

Directions

• Pre-heat oven to 350
• Next measure out all your ingredients, chop your broccoli and grate your cheeses.
• Boil pasta per package instructions [times will vary a smidge by brand/shape] until al dente. Drain and set aside once done.
• While the pasta cooks, start your sauce and your broccoli.
• Cook broccoli via your favorite method. Im a big fan of quickly blanching broccoli in hot water until the florets are bright green and tender.
• For the sauce, melt 1/2 stick of butter [1/4 cup] over medium heat.
• Add flour and whisk constantly while the flour cooks off into a roux, approx. 3 minutes.
• Next season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. [add extra to taste]
• Slowly pour in your milk, whisking constantly until smooth and fully incorporated. Remove from heat. Sauce will thicken as it rests.
• Add pasta and broccoli florets to a 9-inch baking dish [or larger]
• Sprinkle 5-6 ounces of freshly grated cheese on top of the pasta.
• Pour your cream sauce over the noodles and cheese and use a rubber spatula to fold it all together. Feel free to top with a little extra cheese if youd like, then top with bacon.
• Bake on center rack at 350 F for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly.